Dante's Prayerful Pilgrimage: Typologies of Prayer in The <i>Comedy</i>

In Dante’s Prayerful Pilgrimage Alessandro Vettori provides a comprehensive analysis of prayer in Dante’s Commedia and considers the prayerful phenomenon a poetic/metaphorical pilgrimage of the soul toward the vision of the Trinity, while also reflecting Dante’s own exilic experience. "In Dante's Prayerful Pilgrimage Alessandro Vettori provides a comprehensive analysis of prayer in Dante's Commedia. The underlying thesis considers prayer a metaphorical pilgrimage toward a sacred location and connects it with the pilgrim's ascent to the vision of the Trinity. Prayer is movement in Purgatorio and also in Paradiso, while eternal stasis is the penalty of blasphemous souls in Inferno. In the fictional rendition of the poem, the pilgrim's itinerary becomes a specular reflection of Dante's own exilic experience. Prayer's human-divine interaction affords the poet the necessary escape from the overwhelming sense of failure in politics and love. Whether it is petitional, liturgical, thankful, praiseful, or contemplative, prayer expresses the supplicant's wish to transform reality and attain a superior spiritual status"-- Provided by publisher In Dante's Prayerful Pilgrimage Alessandro Vettori provides a comprehensive analysis of prayer in Dante's Commedia. The underlying thesis considers prayer a metaphorical pilgrimage toward a sacred location and connects it with the pilgrim's ascent to the vision of the Trinity. Prayer is movement in Purgatorio and also in Paradiso, while eternal stasis is the penalty of blasphemous souls in Inferno. In the fictional rendition of the poem, the pilgrim's itinerary becomes a specular reflection of Dante's own exilic experience. Prayer's human-divine interaction affords the poet the necessary escape from the overwhelming sense of failure in politics and love. Whether it is petitional, liturgical, thankful, praiseful, or contemplative, prayer expresses the supplicant's wish to transform reality and attain a superior spiritual status. See inside the book. Contents Acknowledgments introduction Pilgrimage and Exile chapter 1 Blasphemy in Inferno chapter 2 The Psalms: Poetic Prayer of Ascent chapter 3 Prayer as Art in Movement chapter 4 Intercessions, Prayerful Locations, and the Theatrics of Prayer chapter 5 Dancing Souls in Paradiso conclusion Prayer as Desire to Be Elsewhere Appendix Works Cited Index